Centaury vs small tortoiseshell

Centaurium erythraea compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

  • Centaury is Least Concern while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Centaury small tortoiseshell
Kingdom Plantae (Plants) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Magnoliopsida (Dicots) Insecta (Insects)
Order Gentianales (Gentianales) Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family Gentianaceae Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus Centaurium Aglais
Species Centaurium erythraea Aglais urticae

Conservation Status

Centaury

LC — Least Concern

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Centaury small tortoiseshell
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Centaury

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan), Europe (4 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (5 countries).

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Centaury

The Centaury (Centaurium erythraea) is a species in the genus Centaurium. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to ['Australia', 'Belgium', 'Bolivia', 'Brazil', 'Canada'].

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

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